50 shinobi: Yamanaka Ino
by Never-chan
Summary: For the LiveJournal community 50 shinobi. They say she's popular, they say she's pretty. Some say, like Naruto she's scary which is why he's an idiot. Overall they say a lot of things, but she doesn't listen.


Claim: Yamanaka Ino  
Community: 50 shinobi (livejournal)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.

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Rating: T  
Hints: Ino/Naruto **

Theme: #25 - Pitter Patter

"I-Ino!" cried Naruto in shock, as he backed away slowly; raising his hands in defense. The blonde opposite to him, took painfully slow steps forward while grinning manically.

"Yes Naruto-kun?" asked the kunoichi innocently; fluttering long lashes in accompaniment.

"W-what are you doing h-here?" squeaked Naruto as he reached to reassure that the towel around his waist stayed there. Beads of water clung to his natural body, his quivering legs left to stand in the puddles at the bottom of his bathtub.

"How did you get into my apartment?" (He tried to sound more assure of himself.)

"Silly, I may not look like it – but I'm just as much as a ninja as you are!" Giggling, as she took another step forward. Naruto took in a gasp of air, when he realized he had been holding his breath. (Why he didn't know.)

Ino smiled brightly, as she finally stopped; standing face to face with Naruto, with only a hairs breath between them. Naruto had never seen eyes as blue like his own before, but Ino's were slightly different; lighter. A cornflower blue, that drew him in more every second he stood there gazing into them.

"Naruto-kun, over the years... one could say, judging by our actions towards another – that we've become friends?"

He blinked. Once, twice – before the confusion showed on his face.

"Nani?"

Ino continued to smile, which was really starting to creep the jinchuuriki out.

"Sorry, I should have known to phrase my question for your mentally," apologized Ino. Leaving Naruto to ponder the small insult thrown in with the sincerity of her words.

"What I mean is..." Here she took that final step forward, pressing her and Naruto's body's skin-to-clothes against another. Naruto too shocked to do anything, tripped over his own feet causing them to crash against the shower wall. Whether Ino noticed or not, she didn't 'touch' on it. Instead choosing to wrap her arms around his neck, in a loose, more than friendly – hug.

"We've become close, haven't we?" Ino repeated the question. Naruto, having been too caught up in her eyes once more, blinked.

"Um, I guess so?" was his unsure reply. But then again at the moment he wasn't really sure of anything. Especially since Yamanaka Ino, of all people had showed up at his apartment, in the bathroom no less; during the in the ungodly hours before sunrise (which Naruto tended to wake up to train). To top it off, the flirtatious blonde's arrival had come just as he had stepped out of the shower; where Naruto found her sitting delicately on the countertop. Thus their current predicament (which was no less confusing); and the result was the blonde kunoichi having him 'unintentionally' pinned against the shower wall.

Ino beamed at his answer, despite the uncertainty. There was an odd twisting sensation in the bowels of Naruto's stomach.

"So we're definitely friends then?" asked Ino eagerly, her eyes alit with her excitement.

His chest felt lighter.

"Yeah... yeah we are!" agreed Naruto, feeling a little more in control of the situation – despite the fact he was still confused as hell. Failing to notice, how those twin blue cornflowers of hers turned scheming at his reassurance.

"Then we should definitely have a toast... to our friendship!"

"Toast?"

"Yeah – like celebrate... we could have a party, and invite everyone so they all know!" explained Ino hastily. And Naruto had to admire how she was always so quick to come up with these brilliant plans on the spot all the time.

"Hey that's a good idea – we can invite Ero-sanin, and Tsunade-baa-san and Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei and..."

"Yes, yes that's all fine and dandy," snapped Ino impatiently as Naruto blinked.

"So, um who will you invite Ino-chan?" asked Naruto as that haughty manner he had first met Ino in, reappeared to envelopthe blonde.

"Oh just the usual people, that's all."

Usual people, did Ino have toasts a lot?

"I see."

"Yes well I really should get going now... you don't mind?" she asked eyeing the blonde up and down for reassurance.

Naruto felt his face heat up under her scrutinizing gaze.

"No – but um, when should we have this... toast, of ours?"

"Oh well... I should really check when everybody else is available," explained Ino; only adding to the confusion on Naruto's part. He really wished he knew what was going through the blonde's head sometimes.

"Oh okay – well you do that then."

Ino grinned, before tightening her hold on him. Naruto felt weak for the moment, as his legs twitched. Pushing herself up to his ear, he finally being slightly taller than her; compared to their genin years – the opposite. "Thanks so much Naruto, you're a great guy."

Her voice was sweet husky whisper; it was as if Ino had a secret and only Naruto was allowed to know. It was temptation.

Inside, Naruto felt something explode.

"Well lots of planning to do, thanks so much again. Naruto I'm sure everyone's going to enjoy our little gathering – especially with your funding," waved off Ino – already gone in a jumble of hand seals and puff of smoke.

On normal circumstances, the blonde Hokage-to-be would rant and rave about how he was just conned into paying for one of Yamanaka's Ino's – as she called them, "small get togethers"; as they were labeled by complaining civilians; gatherings of wild hooligan shenanigans. (thus a party)

However that the moment, he was a little preoccupied; trying to calm that chaotic beating rhythm of his heart. Maybe he was crazy, or had just spent too much time around the eccentric ninjas of Konoha but Naruto swore he could hear the echo of 'pitter-patter' bouncing off the walls.


End file.
